The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-08-11

I was ever in a bad streak of luck with
pack horses Shortly after the above men
toned rise and fall in beef out of those PAN
niers, was employed by trader on the river
at Hawkins Bar to carry a load Of provisions
to the miners working on the quartzrock River
canyon, some three miles distant up river. 1t
was big load and strapped on "cross jack"
saddle. and that to beast of a mean, vicious
and depraved character "Mind, now, you
don't let him get ahead of you," were the
traders last words as he put the halter in my
hands. Well, quarter of a mile from the
store, as we were rounding a steep bit of the
mountain, the trail being only wide enough
for one person to pass at a time, the animal
did force himself almost over me, got ahead
of me, twitcned the rope out of my hand and
started off on dead run. The first things
that "busted" were the fifty pound sacks OF
flour; next the potatoes broke loose. The Hour
went up like cloud in the air with his mad
galloping, and could see the potatoes rising
and falling through the flour. 1t looked like
travelling snow storm. The trail was white
with flour for quarter OF mile, and this
whiteness remained all summer, and until the
fall rains washed it away. AS ran believing
after the horse, noticed fluid stains on the
now red and white pathway com
pound of flour and pulverized red SOIL This
was the whisky. The two gallon demiJohn
had broken. So were some $50 worth OF pro-
visions retaied out on that trail for annie
and half. When I managed to catch the
brute the pack saddle was empty. led him
back to the Hawkins Bar store with few
potatoes in my hands that had gathered up,
and told the boss how that load had been
delivered. The blue smoke of an extra dis
charge of profanity did not clear away from
that store for a full hour. The next
time. on sending a duplicate load
| of the one l had lost, there was
epnt n man who would not let that horse get
nbeod of him. But 1 always attributed the
catastrophe to "yellow Jacket" that stung
the animal on the flank. did not see the
yellow Jacket do this. l did not see any vel
| low Jacket. But / believed in him for all
that, No one else did. "The boys" called me
"The Mad Expressman Of the Tuolumne"
| for months after.
| But packing is science. 1t takes time
and wears and experience to adjust and bal.
ance properly 200 or 300 pounds of -four,
bacon, potatoes and other articles on an ami
mails back. In those early days this
| was the 6e0eTtl lueIuOu VI l. ehLoPOi'
tation after leaving the few main
roads Travelled by vehicles. Down, down
down those long, steep mountain sides which
bordered the American Feather, Mokelumne
Calaveras, Stanislaus, Tuolumne and many
another roaring, foaming, turbulent streams
where gold was found, nor wagon could rol
rnless il rolled much farther than was de
sirable. Only the mule with his load coult
reach the many little camps of those days
nestled in canyons inclosed by walls so steel
they shut out the summer sun by IN TN
afternoon.
The mule is often perverse creature as t.
hacking. though l can't find il in my hear
. 70 blame him for rebellins in some wal
sgainst the slavery of burdens put upon hin
during bis entire earthly existence Bu
when he feels the pack ropes being hauiel
taut around his body, fastening the load 70 III
b ta and the packers right boot is presse'
hard hard against his side in order TO give tina a
n nacter better purchase" in hauling b